Mastitis When an area of the breast does not drain sufficiently, bacteria may begin to grow in that area and cause an infection, a condition called mastitis. Symptoms of mastitis include swelling, burning, redness, or pain, and you may have fever, flu-like symptoms, or generalized aches. If you have any of these symptoms, let your...
Myth Facts You can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding. While it’s true that breastfeeding prevents ovulation in some women, it is not a reliable form of birth control. Talk to your doctor about an acceptable form of contraception. Avoid estrogen-containing birth control pills. You need to toughen your nipples before your baby is born. Your body naturally prepares...
Many women find the need to restrict or alter their diets during pregnancy difficult. It may not be easy for someone accustomed to five cups of coffee a day (or an alcoholic drink or two during dinner) to abruptly change her habits and give up her daily java jolt. After nine months, however, the improvements...
By: Kathleen Berchelmann M.D., FAAP I’ve heard many a horror-story about flying with breast milk, from security agents who forced moms to dump out milk, to broken bottles. I’ve also made a few mistakes myself, once causing me to throw out several days of expressed milk. I’ve taken countless business trips while breastfeeding my five children, and these are my tips...
Signs of Correct Nursing Your baby’s mouth is open wide with lips turned out. His chin and nose are resting against the breast. He has taken as much of the areola as possible into his mouth. He is suckling rhythmically and deeply, in short bursts separated by pauses. You can hear him swallowing regularly. Your...
Breastfeeding throughout the first year includes many important mealtime milestones. Here’s what you can expect. First Week Catching On to Latching On During the first week, focus on making sure your baby knows how to latch on correctly. This not only helps avoid sore, cracked, or blistered nipples, but ensures that your body will get the message...
What affects the content of my breastmilk? Pregnant women usually pay close attention to their diet, since every food, beverage, and drug they ingest may make its way to their baby. Fortunately, this is not exactly the case with breastmilk. Breastmilk is produced from the mammary glands in your breasts, not directly from the...
